Clinico-Epidemiological Laboratory Findings of COVID- 19 Positive Patients in a Hospital in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Understanding COVID-19's onset and clinical effects requires knowing host immune responses. Objective: To investigate the presence of IgM, IgG, and cytokine levels (IL-2 and IL-6) in individuals with COVID-19 who have had their diagnosis confirmed by PCR. Methods: This cross-sectional research included 70 adult ICU patients from King Abdullah Hospital in Bisha, Saudi Arabia. Subjects gave two blood samples. After hospital release, only 21 patients provided the second sample. Each patient provided a sample upon admission. Quantitative ELISAs evaluated IL-2, IL-6, and SARS-CoV-2-specific IgM and IgG antibodies. Results: All patients were critically ill and unvaccinated against COVID-19. 46 (65.7%) of the patients were male, and their age range was 33-98 years (with a mean age of 66.5); 24.3%) were 51-61 years old. IgG was positive in all patients, although IgM predominated in 57/70 (81.4%) (6-1200 IU/mL). Total data analysis yielded these results. IL-6 was calculated at 10-1900 ng/mL, whereas IL-2 was 4-280. Discharged hospital patients had a statistically significant increase in IgM and IgG (P = 0.01, 0.004) but a statistically insignificant decline in IL-6 and IL-2 (P = 0.761, 0.071). Low IgM levels increased hospital stays. The study found lengthier hospital stays with higher IgG levels. Conclusion: The identification of IgM and IgG antibodies, greater IL-6 levels, and lower IL-2 levels can help diagnose and monitor COVID-19 infection.

Thoraco-abdominal impalement injury with an iron rod: A case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Impalement thoracoabdominal injuries are potentially life-threatening due to the associated bleeding and multiple visceral injuries. They are uncommon and often result in severe surgical complications, requiring prompt treatment and extensive care. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a 45-year-old male patient who fell from a 4.5-meter-high tree and landed on a Schulman iron rod stick, which pierced the patient's right midaxillary line, exiting from his epigastric region and leading to multiple intraabdominal injuries and right pneumothorax. The patient was resuscitated and immediately shifted to the operating theater. The main operative findings were moderate hemoperitoneum, gastric and jejunum perforations, and liver laceration. A right chest tube was inserted, and injuries were repaired with segmental resection, anastomosis, and colostomy procedure with uneventful post-operative recovery. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Providing efficient and prompt care is crucial for patient survival. This includes securing the airways, providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and aggressive shock therapy to stabilize the patient's hemodynamic status. The removal of impaled objects is strongly discouraged outside the operation theater. CONCLUSION: Thoracoabdominal impalement injury is rarely reported in the literature; appropriate resuscitative care, prompt diagnosis, and early surgical intervention may minimize mortality and improve the patient's outcomes.

ZnO-chlorogenic acid nanostructured complex inhibits Covid-19 pathogenesis and increases hydroxychloroquine efficacy.

Objective: The study purpose was to compare the anti- novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) property of chlorogenic acid (CGA) and Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NP) with the new valid synthesized complex of ZnO /CGA-NPs. Methods: The facile mixing method was utilized to prepare ZnO/CGA-NPs. The in vitro effect of different ZnO/CGA-NPs concentrations on papain-like protease (PLpro) and spike protein- receptor-binding domain (RBD) was measured by ELISA technique. The compounds effects on SARS-CoV2 were determined on viral entry, replication, and assembly by using plaque reduction assay, qPCR, and ELISA techniques. Their individual effects or mixed with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) on erythrocytes (RBCs) and leukocytes (WBCs) were evaluated by routine cell culture technique. Finally, turbidity and agar well diffusion assays were done to evaluate their antimicrobial properties against Escherichia. coli, klebsila pneumonia, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. Results: The results confirmed that the uniformly dispersed ZnO-NPs were converted to aggregated form of ZnO/CGA-NPs upon the addition of CGA. The inhibitory concentration 50 (IC50) of ZnO /CGA-NPs against RBD, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and PLpro were 1647.7, 323.3 µg/mL and 38.7 µg/mL, respectively. Also, it inhibited E-gene, RdRp gene, E-protein, and spike protein with an IC50 of 0.11, 0.13, 0.48, and 0.37 µg/mL, respectively. It acted as an antimicrobial against all tested organisms with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 26 µg/mL. Finally, ZnO/CGA-NPs Complex (0.1 IC50) prevented the cytotoxic effect of HCQ on RBCs and WBC by 92.3 and 90 %, respectively. Conclusion: ZnO/CGA-NPs Complex can be considered as a new anti- severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) compound.

Cecal duplication cyst presenting with acute abdomen: a case report.

Cecal duplication cyst is a rare congenital malformation with a few reported adult cases. We present a 23-year-old man who presented with low-grade fever, constipation, and right lower quadrant pain for three days. An abdominal computed tomography scan showed a cystic mass of 8.8x7.5x6 cm adjoining to the posterior wall of the cecum. The patient underwent abdominal laparotomy, and a right hemicolectomy was performed with resection of the duplication cyst. The histopathological study confirmed the diagnosis of a non-communicating cecal duplication cyst. In conclusion, it is essential to include cecal duplication cyst in the differential diagnosis of the acute abdomen to guarantee the best treatment strategy.

Early Postoperative Complications of Gastrointestinal Surgery and Its Associated Factors in Yemeni Patients Treated in a Teaching Hospital: A Retrospective Monocentric Study.

Background Postoperative complications (POCs) are significant concerns to surgeons because of their possible fatality or long-term disabilities. This study aimed to investigate the early POCs of gastrointestinal surgery and its associated factors in Yemeni patients treated in a teaching hospital in Sana'a University referral hospital. Method A retrospective cross-sectional study from June 2016 to June 2020 was conducted at Al-Kuwait Teaching Hospital, Sana'a University, Yemen. The patients' characteristics, causative factors, primary treatment, and POCs were recorded from their medical profiles. Univariate analysis was utilized to identify the risk factors associated with gastrointestinal POCs within 30 postoperative days. Results The 30-postoperative day mortality was 3.6%, and major POCs occurred in 22 (20%) patients. There is no statistically significant relationship between POCs and age, sex, smoking, khat chewing, comorbidities (diabetes mellitus, anemia, jaundice, heart disease), emergency cases, drain insertion, and operative time (p ˃ 0.05). There was a significant relationship between POCs and preoperative poor nutritional status, high American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade, need for blood transfusion, major abdominal surgeries, iatrogenic injury, small bowel resection, reoperation, and history of the previous laparotomy (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion There is a significant relationship between preoperative poor nutritional status, high ASA, need for blood transfusion, major abdominal surgeries, reoperation, small bowel resection, iatrogenic injury, previous laparotomy, and POCs across different gastrointestinal procedures. These factors should be assessed when auditing surgical outcomes.

Assessment of diagnostic techniques of urinary tuberculosis.

Early diagnosis of active tuberculosis remains an elusive challenge. In addition, one third of the world's population is latently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and up to 10% of infected individuals develop tuberculosis (TB) in their lifetime. In this investigation, the incidence of urinary tuberculosis among renal patients was studied. Three hundreds urine samples were processed for detection of Mtb by Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) smear examination, Lowenstein Jensen (LJ) medium, radiometric BACTEC460 system as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by DNA Enzyme Immunoassay (DEIA) test. Out of 300 urine samples, 2 were positive by both ZN smears and LJ medium with incidence rate of 0.66 %, 3 positive samples by BACTEC460 culture system with incidence of 1%. PCR assay gave more positive results than smear and culture examination (i.e. 8 positive samples with incidence rate of 2.6%). The specificities were 25% for both ZN smears and LJ medium, 37.5% for BACTEC460 culture system, and 100% for PCR test, while sensitivities of all assays were 100%. Thus PCR is a rapid and sensitive method for the early diagnosis of urinary tuberculosis.

Homozygous deletion of the FHIT gene, p21WAF1 protein expression and apoptosis in bilharzial bladder cancer.

The FHIT gene alterations may occur as early consequences for the urinary bladder cancer. The present study aimed to identify and analyze the role of homozygous deletion (HZD) and transcriptional alterations of fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene in the development and progression of bilharzial bladder cancer in Egyptian patients. The possible associations between FHIT abnormalities and some clinical variables that have prognostic impact in bilharzial bladder cancer patients were determined. In addition, the relations between homozygous deletion (HZD) of FHIT gene, FHIT protein, p21WAF1 expression and apoptosis were demonstrated. We investigated 42 human bladder cancer and 10 normal adjacent tissues as a control group. HZD of the FHIT gene, FHIT protein, p21 protein and apoptosis were assessed by PCR, immunohistochemistry and DNA ladder method, respectively. FHIT HZD deletions have expressed a significant correlation with FHIT protein (p< or =0.04), p21WAF1 protein expression (p< or =0.005) and apoptosis (p< or =0.03). On the other side, no correlations were detected between FHIT homozygous deletions and tumor type, tumor grade and gender. Therefore, the FHIT gene deletions could be important in the development and/or progression of urinary bladder cancers and may be used as an independent prognostic indicator for the clinical outcome in patients with these tumors.